Sunspot # 1734

It has been a very busy few weeks. With Spring finally arriving,it means yard work,gardening,and money making work.These activities are the normal for this time of year…ugh!.
The other hold up on posting here is,I have been having some hardware issues with my scope.I install a updated firmware version for Losmandy Gemini 2.and all hell broke loose. The dlitch seems to have shut down two major ports on the main unit. I now have the scope functioning,but I have had to adjust the baudrate on a different port,which has totally shut down my GPS unit. I will be sending the main unit,and HC back to Losmandy for repair. This makes me nervous for a couple reasons.
A). Past experiences with telescope manufacturers have been less than satisfying. I don’t want to wait months for the unit to be returned.
B). Cost!. The potential for spending hundreds of dollars for a repair makes me nervous. IMHO, for the amount of money invested.I should think that they would do the right thing and fix the issue with only a shipping cost!.
I guess the first step is to send a email to Scott Losmandy to tell him my issues?!.
Luckily,I still have my LXD75 to fall back on! :D
We have had a string of incredible weather lately. The sky has been clear and transparent. Again,I couldn’t take advantage due to the ….well…. see above.
I did have the scope out a few times,and was treated to a big sunspot #1734. The image below shows Sunspot #1734 ,which also features two dark filaments. One of which appears to have extended from the sunspot. Much like a rubber band,the filament closest to the sunspot has apparently broken away due to the magnetic field becoming unstable. A filament is actually a prominence,and the reason they look dark is due to being cooler than the surrounding areas. A sunspot has the same effect.